Kalki 2898 AD & Lucky Baskhar dominate inaugural Gaddar Telangana Film Awards

With the launch of the Gaddar Telangana Film Awards on Thursday, the Telangana government has set the stage for a new tradition of honouring cinematic excellence. The winners of the inaugural edition were announced by Jayasudha, celebrating outstanding achievements across 35 categories in Telugu cinema.BackgroundInstituted in place of the Nandi Awards, the Gaddar Telangana Film Awards are named after the late revolutionary balladeer Gaddar, a cultural icon of Telangana. Following the bifurcation of the state, the Nandi Awards — established in 1964 by the Andhra Pradesh government — ceased to be held in Telangana. The state has now introduced its own awards, with the 2024 Gaddar Award winners announced on Monday and the ceremony set for June 14.Kalki 2898 AD emerged as a double winner, securing both Best Film and Best Director for Nag Ashwin. Allu Arjun was honoured as Best Actor for his commanding show in Pushpa 2: The Rule, while Nivetha Thomas earned Best Actress for her nuanced performance in 35 Chinna Katha Kaadu. Among the jury’s favourites were Pottel and Lucky Baskhar, with Dulquer Salmaan receiving a special jury award for his compelling role in the latter.

The selection process was overseen by a 15-member panel chaired by Jayasudha, who called the experience “a rewarding but challenging task” after sifting through over 1,200 nominations.

Dil Raju, Chairman of the Film Development Corporation, revealed that retrospective honours for the past decade will follow soon.

Quotes:The jury members made their selections purely based on merit, without bias. The awards function is going to happen again after 14-years, and we are truly thrilled– Dil Raju, Producer and Chairman, Telangana Film Development CorporationThese awards are like a lifeline for us. They are a great boost, especially for actors, as they provide recognition for our work…It’s heartening to see so many small films and debut directors being acknowledged. It just shows that new talent can truly shine– Jayasudha, Jury Chairperson

-TNN